(02-20-2019, 09:33 PM)the_councillor Wrote: [ -> ]Not sure you're helping your case here.
I recognize that there have been difficult conversations but if you're coming into a community, being a jerk to the members here absolutely does you a disservice. I don't really know much about you beyond your voting record, but the way you've engaged with us here is both encouraging because there's been a ton of good information and deeply frustrating because you're being an ass.
I don't know, that seems like a pretty fair comment. And I think he's done a pretty good job of keeping the tone at least more civil than others in this discussion.
(02-20-2019, 09:33 PM)the_councillor Wrote: [ -> ] (02-20-2019, 03:03 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: [ -> ]The regional survey for the budget this year in fact suggested that the majority of people supported increasing taxes to improve services.
Both of the types of people you highlight must pay a private contractor to clear the snow around their condo building, as condo buildings provide these services at scale it's actually much cheaper than an individual homeowner, but still much more expensive than it would cost the city to provide those services. So your example is terrible because in those cases, a city service would save BOTH people actual dollars, as opposed to just labor.
Or maybe, and just stay with me on this one...you could cut other regressive programs, like continually widening roads.
If you care so much about taxes, why did you not take issue with the enormous sums of money spent to rebuild Belmont Ave. as a 1960s era unnecessarily wide wasteful dangerous road? Millions could have been saved, we could be half way to paying for sidewalk plowing, and yet, nobody even questioned the need for it.
- Firstly, if you could link me to that Regional survey I'd appreciate it. I frankly have a hard time believing it, or it certainly isn't statistically significant (as the surveys I'm referring to are.)
- Which roads have we widened? I can't speak for every ward, but in mine, over the last ~10 years, I can't recall the city widening a single one. In fact, we cut Lorraine Ave. from 4 lanes to 2 to install cycling lanes.
- Further, whenever we redo a road, the majority of the reason (and more importantly in this context, the vast majority of the cost) is to replace the water/sewer infrastructure underneath. Belmont Ave. is an ironic street to point out seeing as we just approved $350K during budget to reduce the lanes and install segregated cycling lanes instead. Not sure you're helping your case here.
Yes, I came and spoke in support of that. Of course, if council had realized the road was overbuilt 3 years ago when the road was rebuilt, it wouldn't have cost us $350K. And yes, the purpose was to reconstruct the sewers, but the result is that the entire road was rebuilt, it was an opportunity to save a great deal of money AND create a safer better street in our city.
The fact we are now spending money retrofitting those fixes in I don't think negates that--I think it exemplifies it.
But regardless...this is off track...
On topic, every sidewalk in the DTK clearing zone that I walked on today was entirely clear of ice and perfectly safe to walk on. Every sidewalk outside of that was a sheet of ice, and very dangerous.
As of today, according to Environment Canada's historical data we have had no significant precipitation in KW for over a week.
On my ~900 meter walk with my kids to the one kid's school this morning, in two places there were windrows still left that required me to pick up the stroller and lift it over. When I do this, I send the four-year-old over first because I prefer that to asking her to walk behind me and risk falling the wrong way, towards the street.
About a tenth of the length of sidewalk we walk down has not been cleared, more than a week after the last significant snowfall.
It doesn’t help that last night we were hit with yet another downpour of freezing rain. I can’t believe how much ice we’ve had this winter. It’s crazy. I don’t ever remember it being this bad.
FWIW if anyone needs salt for their sidewalks, Canadian Tire at Erb and Ira Needles has 20kg bags for $6.98. About 300 bags left as of this post and it is going fast.
(02-21-2019, 11:36 AM)Canard Wrote: [ -> ]It doesn’t help that last night we were hit with yet another downpour of freezing rain. I can’t believe how much ice we’ve had this winter. It’s crazy. I don’t ever remember it being this bad.
Welcome to the new normal, climate scientists at UW looked at the effects of climate change on our local climate and their models indicated we would see more freezing rain. Not an improvement in my opinion.
It makes for a really crappy winter.
This morning, from what I could tell, the sidewalks that had been cleared prior to last night's rain were not slippery. On my sidewalk, I threw a bit of ice melter down last night as the rain started, and it was fine this morning.
It was by and large those sidewalks that had not been cleared and were still snow- and ice-packed (and thus cold) that the rain froze on creating slick conditions.
(02-21-2019, 11:09 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: [ -> ] (02-20-2019, 09:33 PM)the_councillor Wrote: [ -> ]- Firstly, if you could link me to that Regional survey I'd appreciate it. I frankly have a hard time believing it, or it certainly isn't statistically significant (as the surveys I'm referring to are.)
- Which roads have we widened? I can't speak for every ward, but in mine, over the last ~10 years, I can't recall the city widening a single one. In fact, we cut Lorraine Ave. from 4 lanes to 2 to install cycling lanes.
- Further, whenever we redo a road, the majority of the reason (and more importantly in this context, the vast majority of the cost) is to replace the water/sewer infrastructure underneath. Belmont Ave. is an ironic street to point out seeing as we just approved $350K during budget to reduce the lanes and install segregated cycling lanes instead. Not sure you're helping your case here.
Yes, I came and spoke in support of that. Of course, if council had realized the road was overbuilt 3 years ago when the road was rebuilt, it wouldn't have cost us $350K. And yes, the purpose was to reconstruct the sewers, but the result is that the entire road was rebuilt, it was an opportunity to save a great deal of money AND create a safer better street in our city.
The fact we are now spending money retrofitting those fixes in I don't think negates that--I think it exemplifies it.
But regardless...this is off track...
On topic, every sidewalk in the DTK clearing zone that I walked on today was entirely clear of ice and perfectly safe to walk on. Every sidewalk outside of that was a sheet of ice, and very dangerous.
Those sidewalks
should be cleared very well. They're maintained to the highest
Priority 1 standard, like main roads. But if we're talking city-wide sidewalk-clearing there would be a huge difference between priorities 1, 2 & 3. For example, there were people literally skating on some Priority 3 roads yesterday.
The sun this afternoon has been an amazing help for clearing ice. If you have any buildup on your property and can attack it before sundown, now is the time.
(02-21-2019, 11:45 AM)Section ThirtyOne Wrote: [ -> ]FWIW if anyone needs salt for their sidewalks, Canadian Tire at Erb and Ira Needles has 20kg bags for $6.98. About 300 bags left as of this post and it is going fast.
Another option is to go to a water conditioner outlet, they sell rock salt for water softeners and it works just as well on your sidewalks -- and less expensive usually.
(02-21-2019, 09:35 AM)chutten Wrote: [ -> ] (02-21-2019, 02:13 AM)jeffster Wrote: [ -> ]My point is, if you're in a condo, you pay condo fees to have the sidewalks taken care of. Seeing what I wrote, though, I was clear on that.
Oh, I'm sorry. I misinterpreted you. I was in too much of a hurry and didn't take the time to understand you better.
No your fault..I meant to say that I wasn't clear on that...another typo. I was probably as clear as mud.